SKYY VODKA
SKYY Vodka was founded in 1992 by one man’s dream to make better martinis. Since its very beginning, the brand has been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and invested in social justice causes. In today’s climate, the brand set out to prove it’s not just about where you come from but being proud of what you stand for. Being American has a bad perception — how could we shift this perception? The team was tasked to push SKYY’s positive progressive values in a campaign for the new generation of Americans. This resulted in the creation of SKYY Vodka’s “Proudly American” campaign.
Trixie Mattel Proudly American - Community Management + Copy Writing
SKYY wanted to make a statement with their marketing in a crowded space. Starting in San Francisco and a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, they took a stance and shifted away from their objectifying marketing geared towards the older white male. Drag Queen, Trixie Mattel, was casted to star in the first spot for Proudly American.
A winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars, Trixie is a hero in her community. When we released the campaign, there was a lot of backlash from their current homophobic community. As the community manager, I was responsible for protecting the integrity of the campaign, defending the stance SKYY was taking and writing copy for social posts. Thankfully, for every negative comment, we would have people from the community who would help defend our brave marketing.
Media Coverage:
John Cena Proudly American - Community Management + Copy Writing
After releasing the first Proudly American video with Trixie Mattel, buyers of the product in more conservative markets were not thrilled. The solution? Find an older, famous, white male to promote SKYY Vodka.
John Cena, known from his WWE days, was the perfect fit. He had recently been in an Ad Council video highlighting that love has no labels. One could make the connection that John is equally as invested social justice and a Proud American. This leg of the campaign had a better response from the community but people did ask “where’s Trixie?” As the community manager, I was responsible for protecting the integrity of our campaign, defending the stance SKYY was taking and writing copy for social posts.
Media Coverage:
Marketing Dive Insider Ad Week Wrestling INC. Mandatory The Spirit Business PR Newswire UPRoxx MSN
